Southwest Virginia Blogs

I do not regularly use the same pictures on my internet posts.  I try to pick something unique for each site. This morning I ended up using the same shot on Coastalnc.org as I have used in this post.  The picture has such warm tones that it matches the weather, and I could not resist.

I was filling up with gas yesterday, and someone across the pump island asked me if I like this North Carolina winter?  It was pretty hard to respond with anything by a strong yes since I switched back to shorts as my standard clothing yesterday.

I know much of the country has enjoyed some warmer than normal temperatures.  When we have so many other problems to worry about, it is nice to take the weather off the list for a while.  I did notice that my friends in Halifax, Nova Scotia are seeing temperature just around thirty degrees Fahrenheit.   All I can say is that there are plenty of warmer places to flee to this time of year, and the Canadian dollar is strong, so they have no excuse.

It is so bright today that even with a filter on my digital camera, it is hard to get any blue sky.  That kind of problem is the right kind to have.

I do not regularly use the same pictures on my internet posts.  I try to pick something unique for each site. This morning I ended up using the same shot on Coastalnc.org as I have used in this post.  The picture has such warm tones that it matches the weather, and I could not resist.

I was filling up with gas yesterday, and someone across the pump island asked me if I like this North Carolina winter?  It was pretty hard to respond with anything by a strong yes since I switched back to shorts as my standard clothing yesterday.

I know much of the country has enjoyed some warmer than normal temperatures.  When we have so many other problems to worry about, it is nice to take the weather off the list for a while.  I did notice that my friends in Halifax, Nova Scotia are seeing temperature just around thirty degrees Fahrenheit.   All I can say is that there are plenty of warmer places to flee to this time of year, and the Canadian dollar is strong, so they have no excuse.

It is so bright today that even with a filter on my digital camera, it is hard to get any blue sky.  That kind of problem is the right kind to have.

The beautiful late fall day we had yesterday is just a memory.  The temperature will not make it above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  There is also a cool north wind.

Cold weather does make it feel like the holidays, but I enjoyed yesterday's warm weather.  Still there is certain beauty in the dark skies and muted colors.

Our son is not going to be able to join us for Thanksgiving this year for the first time.  He will be greatly missed.   We still miss my mother who now hasn't been with with us since  2003, and our Lab, Chester who died the same year.

Getting together with your family is one of the real treats in life.  It is nice to have a fancy meal, but the most important thing is the opportunity to renew the ties that bind us to one another.  Our family likes to say that home is the one place where you are always welcome.

We have a cat.  During Thanksgiving we have a visiting cat and dog.  Somehow they manage to get through the holiday.   It's too bad  others can't figure out how to coexist like the cats and dog.

This morning I read that Canada is having another debate about Quebec.  It seems that Quebec wants to be a nation within a nation.  I thought that was already the case in 1987 when we left Canada, but I guess it is hard to satisfy the separatists.  The good news is that Canada can debate even its own citizens to sleep so I am not too worried about a Canadian civil war.

We spent so many years in Canada that I always think about Canada during Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving was the holiday that I missed the most when we lived in Canada.  Thanksgiving is the American holiday to me.   While we all live independent lives in independent countries,  I still think our interdependence is the key to happiness whether were talking provinces, countries, or families.

Thanksgiving is a good time to relax and enjoy those that love us unconditionally.

After enjoying this sunrise over Emerald Isle this morning, I picked up the debate on a potential ban on deep sea bottom trawling in an article from Halifax, Nova Scotia's Chronicle Herald.  The article, "Reputation on the line," has this to say.

Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn has acknowledged trawling damages fish stocks and their environment, but says a ban would be unenforceable and that stronger fisheries management organizations in unregulated areas would be more effective.

"I would like to see Canada take a leadership role on this issue," said Paul Snelgrove, an ecology professor at Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L.

A trawling ban in international waters would not be easy to enforce, but that’s a weak reason to oppose one, Snelgrove said.

It is not unusual to see Canada and the United States on opposite end of an environmental question.  Yet they are in different sides of the issue than what I would have guessed.  I haven't figured out the situation, but I will dig into it.

We need to keep commercial fishermen going strong if possible, but I wonder how much international waters deep sea trawling is done by local fishermen?

I did find one piece of research on the issue, "Potential Impacts of Bottom Trawling on Water Column Productivity and Sediment Transport Processes."  It was funded by the state of North Carolina but does not really address the issue.

As someone who enjoys fishing and throwing them back and ordering fresh local fish off the menu in area eateries, I would like to see someone with the wisdom of Solomon figure this out.

I know we need to protect our wonderful fish nurseries along North Carolina's coast, I am just not smart enough to know the best way to do that yet.

I have seen the California approach, "Sanctuaries for fish, Wildlife panel establishes marine reserves." It may create more problems than it solves.  I was living in Canada when the cod fishery collapsed.  It was not a pretty situation.

Solving our need to use and preserve our marine resources is a huge challenge.

After enjoying this sunrise over Emerald Isle this morning, I picked up the debate on a potential ban on deep sea bottom trawling in an article from Halifax, Nova Scotia's Chronicle Herald.  The article, "Reputation on the line," has this to say.

Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn has acknowledged trawling damages fish stocks and their environment, but says a ban would be unenforceable and that stronger fisheries management organizations in unregulated areas would be more effective.

"I would like to see Canada take a leadership role on this issue," said Paul Snelgrove, an ecology professor at Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L.

A trawling ban in international waters would not be easy to enforce, but that’s a weak reason to oppose one, Snelgrove said.

It is not unusual to see Canada and the United States on opposite end of an environmental question.  Yet they are in different sides of the issue than what I would have guessed.  I haven't figured out the situation, but I will dig into it.

We need to keep commercial fishermen going strong if possible, but I wonder how much international waters deep sea trawling is done by local fishermen?

I did find one piece of research on the issue, "Potential Impacts of Bottom Trawling on Water Column Productivity and Sediment Transport Processes."  It was funded by the state of North Carolina but does not really address the issue.

As someone who enjoys fishing and throwing them back and ordering fresh local fish off the menu in area eateries, I would like to see someone with the wisdom of Solomon figure this out.

I know we need to protect our wonderful fish nurseries along North Carolina's coast, I am just not smart enough to know the best way to do that yet.

I have seen the California approach, "Sanctuaries for fish, Wildlife panel establishes marine reserves." It may create more problems than it solves.  I was living in Canada when the cod fishery collapsed.  It was not a pretty situation.

Solving our need to use and preserve our marine resources is a huge challenge.

After enjoying this sunrise over Emerald Isle this morning, I picked up the debate on a potential ban on deep sea bottom trawling in an article from Halifax, Nova Scotia's Chronicle Herald.  The article, "Reputation on the line," has this to say.

Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn has acknowledged trawling damages fish stocks and their environment, but says a ban would be unenforceable and that stronger fisheries management organizations in unregulated areas would be more effective.

"I would like to see Canada take a leadership role on this issue," said Paul Snelgrove, an ecology professor at Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L.

A trawling ban in international waters would not be easy to enforce, but that’s a weak reason to oppose one, Snelgrove said.

It is not unusual to see Canada and the United States on opposite end of an environmental question.  Yet they are in different sides of the issue than what I would have guessed.  I haven't figured out the situation, but I will dig into it.

We need to keep commercial fishermen going strong if possible, but I wonder how much international waters deep sea trawling is done by local fishermen?

I did find one piece of research on the issue, "Potential Impacts of Bottom Trawling on Water Column Productivity and Sediment Transport Processes."  It was funded by the state of North Carolina but does not really address the issue.

As someone who enjoys fishing and throwing them back and ordering fresh local fish off the menu in area eateries, I would like to see someone with the wisdom of Solomon figure this out.

I know we need to protect our wonderful fish nurseries along North Carolina's coast, I am just not smart enough to know the best way to do that yet.

I have seen the California approach, "Sanctuaries for fish, Wildlife panel establishes marine reserves." It may create more problems than it solves.  I was living in Canada when the cod fishery collapsed.  It was not a pretty situation.

Solving our need to use and preserve our marine resources is a huge challenge.